Ladies, we’re sorry to say that there isn’t a “How to Date a Marine: For Dummies” out there on the market. The life of a Marine and their spouses are not what you may be prepared to face—especially if you aren’t privy to this kind of lifestyle.
Not just that, but you cannot be prepared to enter this life style completely unaware of what is going to be going on in your partner’s life. The only three things that you can really plan for are three steps of being a Marine once they’ve signed the contract. These parts consist of boot camp, training, and then the wait for deployment. These are the only things that we can plan for—the rest will have to be left to chance, unfortunately.
Three Things to Plan While Dating a Marine
Boot Camp:
Boot camp typically lasts for 13 long weeks. This will probably feel like the longest wait ever, especially if this is the first time you’ve been without contact with your partner for any significant length of time. Your significant other won’t be able to bring any personal items with him except for money in a money clip. So don’t think that he’ll be able to carry a picture of you two with him. You won’t be able to talk to him, so you’ve better know how to craft a letter that isn’t riddled with spelling mistakes and bad grammar. If you really want to show your marine that you have him in your heart and you care about him, a letter carefully written that is easy to read? Oh yeah. He’ll get the idea.
Training:
Infantry training is where he prepares to fight. If your partner does this particular training, you can breath a little easier because they have a higher life expectancy then a truck driver in the Marines have. This training usually lasts two months. Or it could last long if the Marine in training fails a particular section and cannot move on until they pass. While in training, they are allowed a few photographs and you are still communicating through letters, so it is okay to send them a few sentimental photographs. Just be aware that before they leave to go to training, they will only be home for ten days before being sent out.
Deployment:
This is the part of being a Marine that is the most difficult to deal with. When your Marine is shipped off, they will be gone for a tour, which usually lasts six months. When you are going to communicate with one another, it will be via phone calls, video chats, and letters of course. Many women complain about never knowing what is going on with their spouse because you don’t know if you will ever hear from them again. Be that as it may, there are some perks about being married a Marine who is on tour is that you can live on base in their housing units. You also will receive benefits from the government like your home, pay, and ways to get clothing, groceries, and health care for much cheaper than civilians who aren’t involved with a Marine. Keep in mind though that because of these perks, you may find your Marine would want to get married and start a family pretty quickly. They want someone at home waiting for them, just waiting to love on them.
Perhaps this very thing is the hardest part of being involved with a Marine. The waiting game is never something people are fully prepared to deal with. No one realizes how much you miss someone until they are gone and you cannot talk to them or see them as much as you want. All you can do is sit there and bide your time until you can embrace your Marine again.
Dating a Marine isn’t easy. It isn’t for everyone, that is for sure. However, you’ll find that by dating a Marine, you will find a comradery with other women who are in the same situation as you. You’ll want to surround yourself with others who know what you’re going through and can offer you some advice on how to survive the wait. After all, you shouldn’t fall to pieces when he is gone, as he is look to you for support—he needs you to be that link to everything he holds dear at home.